In fulfilment of its plan to ramp up the Social Investment Programmes, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is now close to its target of feeding three million primary school children this year under the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, one of its four ongoing SIP schemes.
Specifically, at the last count, a total of N6,204,912,889 has been paid out to 14 states during the school year ending August 2017.
The 14 states that have been covered under the School Feeding Programme are Anambra, Enugu, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Delta, Abia, Benue, Plateau, Bauchi, Taraba and Kaduna.
So far, a total of 2,827,501 school children are currently benefiting from the School Feeding Programme, which is well on course to achieve the Federal Government’s projection to feed over three million pupils this year.
In total, 33,895 cooks have been engaged in the communities where the schools are located across the 14 states.
These facts were contained in a statement released yesterday by Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity in the Office of the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
According to the breakdown of payment: Anambra State received a total of N693,013,300, while a total of 103,742 children have been fed thus far, with 1,009 cooks paid.
Enugu State got a total of N 571,877,400 and 108,898 children have been fed so far, with 1,276 cooks paid.
Oyo State: A total of N490,296,800 was released by the FG for the feeding of 107,983 children, with 1.372 cooks engaged.
Osun State: Received N1,000,394,888 for the feeding of 151,438 children and a total of 2,863 cooks were engaged in the state.
Ogun State: Received N1,042,217,400 for the feeding of 231,660 schoolchildren, while a total of 2,205 cooks were paid.
Zamfara State: Received a total of N402,295,600 for the feeding of 107,347 schoolchildren, while 1,127 cooks were engaged.
Bauchi States: Received thus far N214,909,101 for the feeding of a total of 307,013 pupils, with 3,261 cooks engaged.
Taraba State: A total of N120, 284,500 was paid and 171,835 pupils have thus far been fed, with a total of 2,596 cooks paid.
Kaduna State: Received a total of N499,985,500, while 835,508 pupils have been fed so far. Also, a total of 9,857 cooks were paid under the programme in the state.
Akande said more states and primary school pupils across the country are expected to benefit from the feeding programme by the time schools re-open next month for a new session.
